By Michael Amakor |December 2004
Read The Amazing Danny Williams
On November 11, Danny Williams challenges Vitali Dr “Iron Fist”Klitchko for his WBA Heavyweight Crown at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Former British Heavyweight and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Danny Williams was virtually unknown outside the United Kingdom, but when Iron Mike Tyson was making a comeback he was chosen from a motley lot of journey men as a tune in preparation for progressively tougher level competition, Danny Williams taught very differently about the whole subject of being used as cannon fodder and shocked the world by throwing over 20 unanswered punches, knocking down Living Legend Iron Mike Tyson to the canvas encouraging his resolve to be counted out of the fight in the fourth round
His past record made boxing experts write him off before this tune up against Mike Tyson and the fact that he had just beaten Augustine Ndou for the WBU International Heavyweight did little to sway their opinion about his ability. Inaddition he had a most unimpressive list of conquests over journey men like Julius Francis who Mike Tyson had earlier crushed in devastating fashion. The only recognizable fighter he faced before Mike Tyson was Sanil Samil Sam who technically immobilized him in the sixth round back in 2003. His victory over Iron Mike has dramatically elevated his profile so high that he is being given a chance against Dr Ironfist who is so pissed that Williams got to Tyson first that he has promised to vent it all out on Williams.
Now when Dr Ironfist talks you better listen because he is a 6 foot 7 ½ inches tall former European, WBO and WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion who has crushed a horde of opponents enroute to nearly beating now retired champion Lennox Lewis, that fight was stopped due to a horrendous cut suffered as a result of an accidental butt of heads.
There is no comparison between both fighters, Klitchko also decisively kayoed their common opponent Julius francis in the second round a couple of years ago while Williams went 16 rounds with him. For Dr Ironfist he has few options if he wants to solidify his legacy, he absolutely has to win this fight or else he will be cast so far down the heavyweight labyrinth he may spend an eternity trying to claw his way out. The door to salvation may also be blocked by his critics who have been denigrating him for years now since he was forced to quit against Chris Byrd due to a torn rotator cuff while ahead on all judges score cards. The were given additional ammunition when his younger brother Former WBO champion Wladimir Klitchko was suddenly dethroned by unheralded Corrie Saunders and later by Lamont Brewster in a shocking display that exposed his lack of stamina and championship heart in dealing with adversity.
Vitali Klitchko has been fighting for years to get that shadow off his back and a poor performance will encourage a cacophony of challenges from slighted Champions of the division like WBC Champion John Ruiz who has already issued a public statement challenging the giant from Ukraine.
Dr Ironfist may now be saddened as he listens to reports of the political upheaval coming from his beloved Ukraine as he trains, and when he reads the challenge from Ruiz he may become so angry and will delightfully begin planning how to crush him and deal with the rising mutiny in the ranks long enough to look past determined Danny Williams who may fire the next power shot to be heard around the world signaling his arrival as the New King of the Division
We shall see and may the best Man Win
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
